Machine for operating upon soles.



R. G. SIMMONS. MAGHINE FOR OPERATING UPON sows.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 22, 1908.

Patented June 25, 1912.

I V/T/VE 5555:

s TENT onion RALPH C. SIMMONS, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TOUNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OFNEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented une 25, 1912.

Application filed October 22, 1908. Serial No. 458,999.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH O. SIMMONS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Beverly, in the county of Essex and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Machines forOperating upon Soles, of which the following description, in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like referencecharacters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures;

This invention relates to machines for operating upon soles and is shownembodied in a channeling machine.

Machines are in use in preparing soles for attachmentto boots or shoesin which a sole is advanced against an operating tool by a feed wheelhaving engagement with the marginal portion thereof. As is wellknown,various operations upon the marginal portion of the sole are performedin machines of this type. In some classes of work it is desirable thatthe rotation of the feed wheel be automatically effected. Where a soleis being operated upon along such an abrupt curve as occurs at the toe,to secure the best results it is at times desired that the movement ofthe sole against the operating tool should be retarded.

An important feature of the present invention consists in the provision,in a machine of this type, ofmeans for automatically turning the feedwheel at a predetermined rate and means for changing the speed to adifferent predetermined rate. In the machine shown, the construction issuch that the feed wheel may be rotated at any one'of a plurality ofspeeds according to the desire of the operator. Preferably theconstruction is such that the change from one speed to another may beeffected at any point in the course of operating upon a sole. In themachine shown, a single controlling member is provided by manipulationof which any one of a plurality of predetermined speeds may be secured,or if desired the transmission of movement to the wheel may bediscontinued.

Other features of the invention will be hereinafter described anddefinedin the appended claims.

In the drawings,-Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a channelingmachine c011- stituting one embodiment of the invention;

.shaft is a driving shaft 6.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating amodification.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates a feedwheel of usual form constructed to have engagement with the under sideof a sole at its margin and by its rotation advance the soleprogressively against a channeling knife 2. The arrangement of thechanneling knife and other devices shown which operate upon the uppersurface of the sole need not be particularly described as it constitutesno part of the present invention. The feed wheel 1 is carried on a shaftl ournaled in the frame of the machine. Beneath the feed wheel Thedriving shaft 6 is provided intermediate its ends with teeth 8 meshingwith the teeth of a gear 10 fixed upon the feed wheel shaft. A. pulleywheel 12 arranged for continuous r0- tation and provided with a hub 14:is mounted upon the rear end of the driving shaft. Both the front faceand the rear face of the hub 14 are notched to permit either of saidfaces to be brought into clutching engagement with parts to bedescribed. The rear face of the hub 14 is adapted to have engagementwith a clutch member 16 fixed upon the shaft 6. The front face of thehub 14 is arranged for engagement with a clutch member 18 rigid with asleeve 20 which encircles the shaft 6 and is journaled for movement inthe frame. The sleeve 20 carries at its front end a gear 22 meshing witha gear 24 fixed upon the feed wheel shaft 4:. The hub 14 is of such sizethat in an intermediate position between the clutch memhere 16 and 18 itis out of contact with both of said members. As Wilh appear from thedrawings, the hub 14 is arranged for sliding movement upon the drivingshaft 6. To efiect this movement a lever 26 is journaled upon themachine frame, one end of said lever entering a groove formed in theperiphcry of the hub 14, the other end being engaged by lugs formed upona rod 28 arranged for vertical movement in the frame of the machine. Thespring 30 holds the rod 28 normally in its uppermost position whereinthe hub 14 is clutched with the clutch member 18. The rod 28 isdepressed by a suitable treadle.

It will be seen that the arrangement described permits the feed wheel tobe rotated at either of two speeds. In the event that it is desired touse continuously the lower speed and not resort to the use of the higherspeed, the rod 28 which constitutes the clutch controlling member may belocked in its lowermost position. A latch 32 is shown in Fig. 1 for thispurpose. As will be obvious, bydepressing the clutch controlling rod 28and swinging the latch 32 into a vertical position wherein it hasengagement with the frame of the machine the rod 28 is held from upwardmovement.

There is shown in Fig. 2 a modified arrangement. In this modificationthe hub 34 of the pulley wheel has frictional engagement with members 36and 38. To reduce the friction due to the end thrust upon the shaft 6,there are provided ball bearings 40, 42, which take up the end thrustimparted to said shaft. The mechanism shown permits a sole to beadvanced against a channeling knife at either of two speeds according tothe desire of the operator. In going about the toe of a sole, which isthe most difficult part of a channeling operation, the operator may usethe lower speed, using the higher speed along the the operation ofchanneling a sole.

sides of'the sole where the sole moves substantially in a rectilinearpath. If desired in the use of the mechanism shown a single speed may beused continuously throughout The possibility of selecting either of aplurality of speeds is of advantage when the machine is used in thismanner. F or example, it may be desirable for an inexperienced operatorto run the machine at a lower speed than an operator who has becomeskilled in its use.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to thearrangement of parts shown and described. As will be obvious,

various devices for varying the speed of rotation of the feed wheel maybe substituted Q 1. A machine for operating upon soles,

having in combination, an operating tool, a

feed wheel for advancing the sole against the tool by engagement withits marginal portion, a driving shaft, means for transmitting rotarymovement from the driving shaft tosaid feed wheel, a sleeve rotatablymounted upon said driving shaft, means for transmitting rotary movementfrom said sleeve to said feed wheel and a power driven member rotatablymounted upon the shaft constructed to transmit rotary movement to eitherthe sleeve or the shaft at the will of the operator.

2. A machine for operating upon soles, having in combination, anoperating tool, a feed wheel for advancing the sole against the tool byengagement with its marginal portion, a driving shaft operativelyconnected to the feed wheel to rotate the latter at a predeterminedspeed, a rotatable member for imparting movement to the feed wheel at aslower rate of speed and a power driven member rotatably mounted uponthe shaft constructed and arranged to impart rotary movement to eitherthe shaft or said rotatable member at the will of-the operator.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

v RALPH G. SIMMONS.

WVitnesses BERNARD BARROWS, ALLAN H. BARROWS.

Copies of-this pacent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G.

